Air Pollution in El Monte

Air Pollution in El Monte

AIR POLLUTION

• This pollutant is a non point source, mainly caused by automobiles
• Since El Monte is surrounded by three major freeways, it is constantly being exposed to emissions
• According to the EPA's AIQ on LA county, Ozone and PM 2.5 have been rising within the past five years

•   As shown in the image above, there is an increasing amount of days with unhealthy air for the general public and for sensitive groups.
• A total of 241 days of unhealthy or worse air in El Monte, for this year only ("Air Quality",  2020)

  

• Health impacts of poor air quality
• Carbon Monoxide: Low blood oxygen level, cause dizziness, confusion, unconsciousness and death
• Lead: Neurological effects in children and cardiovascular disease
• Nitrogen Dioxide: Respiratory diseases worsen
• Ozone (ground): Chest pain, coughing, throat irritation and airway inflammation
• PM: Particulate matter is sometimes so small that it can enter your lungs and blood stream.
• Sulfur Dioxide: Respiratory problems
• Nitrogen Dioxide in El Monte has been on average higher than the mean of the state of California and US for more than 10 years. ("Environmental Protection", 2020)
• A total of 10,000 people in El Monte have asthma, this is about 10% of the population ("Health Assessment Unit", 2015)
• Compared to 2011, it was 4,00 about 4%.
• 

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)

• Lung disease that prevents airflow and causes respiratory problems
• The average percentage of COPD ER visits in LA county is 2.9% per 10,000 individuals (Harrington at el., 2019).
• El Monte exceeds this amount, as of 2015 the average COPD ER visits per 10,000 individuals is 12.2% (Harrington at el. 2019).

How it affects me

• El Monte is the city my immediate family and I live in and this issue is important to me because it affects everyone in my community; my friends and family. It's the air we breath everyday, at all times. It makes me sad to think that the air that gives me life will eventually be my downfall as well. My grandparents who are 70 years old have weak lungs and bad air pollution is not helping them live any longer. I chose this issue because it affects what I hold close to my heart, my family. After learning all this information I want to do all I can to prevent further damage to my community's air quality.

References

https://air.plumelabs.com/air-quality-in-el-monte-ca-mqFF

https://www.epa.gov/outdoor-air-quality-data/air-data-daily-air-quality-tracker.

http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/ha/LACHSDataTopics2011.htm

Harrington, M.J., Newark, C., & Fenton, J. (2019). 2019 Community Health Needs Assessment. Emanate Health

Successful Aging

SUCCESSFUL AGING

LISA ZHANG

Older people often say that successful aging involves being productive, being mentally fit, and, most importantly, being able to lead a meaningful life.

 

The term successful aging was made popular in 1987, when the scientists John Wallis Rowe and Robert Kahn published an influential book entitled Successful Aging. Rowe and Kahn stated that successful aging involved three main factors: being free of disability or disease, having high cognitive and physical abilities, and interacting with others in meaningful ways.

DISABILITY AND DISEASE FREE 

For absence of disease, we included absence of heart disease, stroke, bronchitis, diabetes, cancer, osteoporosis, emphysema, or asthma. Absence of disability included being able to perform all 7 activities of daily living. Absence of risk factors included absence of cigarette smoking, hypertension, and obesity, defined according to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute's (1998) guidelines as a body mass index of 30 or greater based upon reported height and weight.

HIGH COGNITIVE AND PHYSICAL ABILITIES

 Maintaining physical and mental functioning includes the ability to walk 1/4 mile, the ability to climb one flight of stairs without resting, the ability to stand up without fainting or feeling dizzy, and the ability to remember things without difficulty, to remember where one put something, or to find the right word when talking.

SOCIALLY EMBEDDEDNESS

Connections with persons included reporting monthly contact with three or more close friends or relatives is considered healthy. Quality of social connection is one of the most reliable predictors of well-being in older individuals. 

                                                        Thank you

I choose this topic because we live in a time where there are so many uncertainties as we get older. There isn't a specific way to be happy but health is wealth. Being aware of the simple things that can help you age successfully physically means there is one less thing to worry about about. 

“Fifty is a big corner to turn.

It used to mean being put out to pasture, but it's the opposite with me.

 I feel more vibrant; I'm more active than I've ever been. 

The F-word really is freedom. 

It's the freedom to have dropped the rock-the rock of addiction, of family, of comparisons with other people. It's being fit and focused and kind of furious.” JAMIE LEE CURTIS

References

Urtamo, A., Jyväkorpi, S. K., & Strandberg, T. E. (2019). Definitions of successful ageing: a brief review of a multidimensional concept. Acta bio-medica : Atenei Parmensis, 90(2), 359–363. https://doi.org/10.23750/abm.v90i2.8376 

Bowling, A., & Dieppe, P. (2005). What is successful ageing and who should define it?. BMJ (Clinical research ed.), 331(7531), 1548–1551. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.331.7531.1548

Animal Rights

Animal rights is defined as an animal's own rights to be free from any harm to serve the purpose of humans and continue living freely in their own environment. 

Animal Issues

1. EXPERIMENTS  

Animals are used to observe chemical reactions based on cosmetics, drugs, and food testing before medics approve the selling of products. The scientists treat their animal test subjects harshly by forcing them to unwanted procedures that put them a high risk of injury or even death. For example, scientists may burn their skin when chemicals are placed on them, while animals do not have any escape because they are injected with tranquilizer drugs. Nearly all animals have been victims of medical and science experiments forced upon them, such as dogs, frogs, cats, birds, monkeys, rabbits, rats, fish, guinea pigs, pigs, reptiles, etc. 

2. FOOD

Many animals are used for meals depending on the culture each country has. For example, people in Mexico eat grasshoppers by frying them, people in Cambodia eat fried spiders, people in China eat snakes, pigeons and ducks. Some animals like cows and chickens are overfed in slaughterhouses so they can be fuller by the time they are killed because people prefer animals that are bigger. Also, animals may be given steroid hormones because this supplement makes animals increase their size faster. The two main animals that are most used for food are cows and chickens. In most countries, cows are used to make hamburgers, while chickens are used for fried or grilled chicken.  

3. LABOR

Depending on the country, people will use specific animals for labor in order to help humans with daily tasks. These animals are working against their will, because they are always tied or caged so they are unable to leave and can remain there when the owner needs their use again. Animals are used in labor to carry supplies, transport people, and complete other services. Animals that are used to transport people or objects are donkeys, camels, elephants, horses, yaks, buffalos, and llamas by tying a rope around them to carry bags or boxes of supplies. Dogs are one of the main animals used for labor because they contribute  to different services, such as herding, protecting, guiding people, and for K-9 specialities. Horses are also often used for people to ride them, however they suffer from whippings and branding burns. 

4. CLOTHING/PRODUCTS

Several pieces of clothing, accessories and products come from animals. Animals are taken away from their lives to make products that will be sold in stores. Animals create several materials seen today, such as leather used for leather jackets, wool used for blankets, fur used to make coats, silk used for ties, and ivory used for piano keys. The skin of animals can be taken to make products too, such as snake skin used to make purses, shoes and belts or crocodile skin used to make shoes. Animals can be used for fashionable accessories, such as the pearls of clams to make necklaces. The tissue of oily fish is taken away to make fish oil. Products for physical health can come from animals to create ointments and medicine. 

5. ENTERTAINMENT 

The main forms of entertainment that involve the presence of animals are in circus, aquariums, and zoos. Animals in zoos and aquariums do not have a lot of area to explore because they are kept in small living spaces. While circus animals are kept inside cages unless they are needed for a performance. They are overly trained to make performances to impress the crowd, such as sea lions that play with balls and try to make tricks. Another form of entertainment that involve animals are also, chicken or dogs fights in Mexico. Similar to Olympic Games for humans, there are Olympic games for dogs that are trained to become a contestant and win first place. Horses are overtired when they are forced to participate in horse-races in which they are pressured to win. In Mexico, they have a game that involves riding a bull to see who can stay on the bull the longest. While in different parts of Latin America they bring in a bull to chase a red fabric held by a person, who is continuously moving around trying to get the bull's attention. 

Laws in Place

Within the United States, there are only a few laws that protect animals. A few laws in place that protect animals are:

• The Animal Welfare Act: The Animal Welfare Act was the first law in place that gave some form of protection to animals. It was established on August 24, 1966 to protect animals from maltreatment through experimentations, exhibitions, transportations, and dealers. 
• Endangered Species Act: The Endangered Species Act was first signed into law in 1973 in order to protect animals that were at risk of injury or death. 
• The Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture Act: The PACT Act was effective in 2019 to stop the act of animal cruelty that involved any form of physical torture towards them. Forms of physical torture involve crushing, drowning, burning, or suffocating an animal. 

Animals Stripped Away from their Environments

The association of the American zoo and aquarium have given privilege to 2,633 animal exhibitors to set up their zoo or aquarium settings. This means that each year several thousand animals are taken away from the wildlife and placed in zoos or aquariums for entertainment purposes. In addition, they are not given the proper accommodations to live adequately. More so, millions of animals are taken away from their home for experiment purposes where they are injected and tested with all kinds of drugs and chemicals. Without knowing the effects on the animals, the scientists continue to practice experiments on these animals. 

Effects on Animals

Negative effects animals may experience due to suffrage are depression, psychotic feeling, and trauma. Therefore, people fill them with antidepressants, tranquilizers or other drugs to calm their state of mind. It is clear these animals are experiencing negative effects after being taken away from their environment, which is why they require them to take drugs to help them. Even if animals return back to their environment they can still live with the negative effects that were built on them when they were taken away to a different environment. For example, dogs who are taken away from their home for experiment purposes can return home with negative or odd behavior due to the trauma it experienced. 

Solutions to this Issue

Therefore, the initial start to help animals is to exclude them from experiments because it can result in physical or emotional problems. Today, we see advanced equipment and technology that can be used for transportation to terminate animal labor. An alternative to reduce the consumption of animals is to eat beans, rice, bread, salad, almond-milk, fruits and vegetables. Lastly, an effective method to help animal rights is to stop removing animals from their natural environment. Animals can't speak for themselves so people have to ensure that they have their rights and do not suffer abuse. 

References

“Animals used for entertainment.” Peta. https://www.peta.org/issues/animals-in-entertainment/

Gullone, E. (2014). “Risk factors for the development of animal cruelty.” Journal of Animal Ethics, 4(2), 61-79. Doi:10.5406/janimalethics.4.2.0061 

Humane Society International/Global (2020). “About Animal Testing.” Humane Society International, [page numbers if there are any]. https://www.hsi.org/news-media/about/

“Laws that protect animals: Federal, state, and local.” Animal Legal Defense Fund Est 1979. https://aldf.org/article/laws-that-protect-animals/

Orzechowski, K. (2020). “The Animal Rights Movement: History and Facts about Animal Rights.” Faunalytics. https://faunalytics.org/the-animal-rights-movement-history-and-facts-about-animal-rights/  

Plastic Waste

Plastic Waste: The World's Most Pressing Environmental Issue

by: Grand Ho, Art 3170-02, Professor Aziz

 What is plastic waste?

Climate Change

Climate Change 

What is climate change?

According to NASA (2021), "climate change is a long-term change in the average weather patterns that have come to define Earth's local, regional and global climates." 

Anthropogenic Causes of Climate Change 

The leading reason for the Earth's rapidly changing climate is the greenhouse gas emissions humans produce. Although greenhouse gases are essential in maintaining the planet warm enough to inhabit it, the amount in our environment has skyrocketed in recent years. In the last 800,000 years, the concentrations of carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxides have increased to unprecedented levels. Carbon dioxide, which is "the planet's chief climate change contributor," has increased by 40% since preindustrial times (Denchak, 2017). 

The second major cause is deforestation. Up to 20% of global carbon emissions are contributed by "logging, clear-cutting, fires, and other forms of forest degradation" (Denchak, 2017). 

Other causes are: 

• Fertilizer use, which is the main source of nitrous oxide emissions. 
• Livestock production, such as cattle, buffalo, sheep, and goats; which are major methane emitters.
• Industrial processes, equipment, and products, which release fluorinated gases. 

Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide 

This graph shows that globally, the average atmospheric carbon dioxide in 2019 was 409.8 parts per million (ppm), which illustrates that the carbon dioxide levels are higher than ever in the past 800,000 years. The concentration of carbon dioxide is rising mainly due to fossil fuel burning that people burn for energy.

According to Rebacca Lindsey (2020), "the annual rate of increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide over the past 60 years is about 100 times faster than previous natural increases." Between 2017-2019, the global atmospheric carbon dioxide increased by 2.5 plus or minus 0.1 ppm each year. In addition, between 2009-2018, the growth rate of global atmospheric carbon dioxide was 2.3 ppm each year; however, in the 1960s, the rate was roughly 0.6 plus or minus 0.1 ppm each year. Thus the rate of global atmospheric carbon dioxide is increasing. 

The Effects of Global Climate Change 

Climate change effects on the environment are already observable, such as: 

• The shrinking glaciers 
• The ice on rivers and lakes are breaking up earlier
• Trees are flowering sooner 
• loss of sea ice
• accelerated sea-level rise
• Heatwaves are more prolonged and more intense

The temperature has risen and will continue to rise. NASA (2021) states that the average surface temperature on Earth has risen about 2.12 degrees Fahrenheit since the late 19th century. The increased carbon dioxide emissions have primarily caused this. Our Earth's temperatures will continue to rise due to greenhouse gases created by human activities. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change predicts that the temperature will rise about 2.5 to 10 degrees Fahrenheit over the next century. 

Since the Industrial Revolution's commencement, ocean acidification has increased by approximately 30% (NASA, 2021). This is due to humans emitting more significant amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and then being absorbed into the ocean. 

The Future Effects of Climate Change 

According to NASA (2021), the Third and Fourth National Climate Assessment Reports, say some of the long-term effects of global climate change in the U.S. are:

• The temperature will continue to rise 
• The lengthening of frost-free and growing seasons
• Changes in precipitation patterns 
• More droughts and heatwaves 
• Hurricanes will become stronger and most intense 
• Sea level will rise 1 to 8 feet by 2100
• The Arctic Ocean is likely to become ice-free 

Why is this issue relevant to me?

This social issue directly affects me because it impacts my health and future, and it matters because climate change affects me, my family, and everyone. For example, since I live in the San Fernando Valley, I constantly see fires. This affects everyone's health, including mine, because when fires occur, the air quality is terrible, and we are breathing it in. In addition, as the temperature rises, many people, including me, will be using the air conditioner more often, which can cause blackouts. I am also allergic to pollen; thus, when warmer temperatures cause the pollen season to be more extended, this will affect my health. Climate change will also affect my future generation. I choose this social issue because I believe it is crucial for people to take care of our planet, health, and future. I believe it is essential for people to know how we affect our planet and what we can do about climate change. 

What can we do? 

• Switch to green power 
• Save energy 
• Optimize your diet
• Reduce the amount of meat and dairy products you consume and eat more plant-based foods
• Cut Down on Plastic 
• Protect the forests 
• Plant more trees
• Walk or bike instead of driving
• Make our voice heard 

References 

Denchak, M. (2017, February 23). Global climate Change: What you need to know. Retrieved from https://www.nrdc.org/stories/global-climate-change-what-you-need-know

Lindsey, R. (2020, August 14). Climate change: Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide. Retrieved from https://www.climate.gov/news-features/understanding-climate/climate-change-atmospheric-carbon-dioxide#:~:text=The%20global%20average%20atmospheric%20carbon,least%20the%20past%20800%2C000%20years.

NASA. (2021, April 5). Climate change evidence: How do we know? Retrieved from https://climate.nasa.gov/evidence/

NASA. (2021, April 5). Overview: Weather, global warming, and climate change. Retrieved from https://climate.nasa.gov/resources/global-warming-vs-climate-change/

Obesity is Now a Global Pandemic!

 OBESITY

Karina Lopez Navarro
Art 3170-02

What is Obesity?

Obesity is one of the major problems impacting my community in contemporary society. The health condition is substantiated where individuals encompass excessive body fat that is past the normal levels. Obesity makes the body vulnerable to other health conditions such as heart diseases and diabetes.  Body Max Index (BMI) is used to see a person's weight in kilograms divided by the square of height in meters. A high BMI can be an indicator of high body fatness.

Research and Statistical Evidence

According to the National Health Nutrition and Examination Survey (NHANES), 40% of adults who are aged between 20 and 40 have obesity in the United States. Moreover, 45 percent of individuals between the ages of 40 and 60 have obesity in the US (Ogden 136). The numbers keep skyrocketing with the increase in age, and older adults still seem to be leading with percentages. NHANES has also outlined certain major causes of obesity in the United States of America. 

• Addiction to fast foods with numerous restaurants being erected in many parts of the country

• Negligence when it comes to nutritional studies. Certain communities barely care about nutritional or diet studies. Thus, many a time, they eat what is available to them. 

• Food addiction is also part of the problem with certain individuals not knowing how to slow down. 

 

Genetics also has a part to play in obesity since most obese parents tend to have obese kids (Ogden 138). When children are born in the US, they mostly eat what their parents eat, and that may evoke consequences. Therefore, all these factors have qualified obesity to be a major issue in the United States and around the world. 

  

Why it is important to combat Obesity?

In my community, over 45 percent of the population is obese, and the number keeps rising almost every year. African Americans and Hispanics have been on the receiving end for the longest time when it comes to the condition. The health condition is important to me because I want to be part of the community's solution. I myself have been fighting obesity in my Adulthood. I also have members of my family who have struggled with the condition all their lives. I would like to ascertain refined health methodologies that can help the community avoid their future lives. Additionally, my community is poverty-stricken; thus, I would like to come up with cheap blueprints that everyone can afford. In the US, medical care is very expensive, and many people do not have health care insurance. Hence, I am keen on outlining methodologies that would lead to future health success, thus avoiding medical care bills. I am certain solving obesity in my community will also help in solving other conditions that come with obesity. 

 

Treatment Issues

 

The following are some of the issues that are associated with solving the problem in my community. 

 

First, many people do not believe in diet or nutritional studies, and they are unlikely to respond. In most instances, my community members eat what is available because of the region's low quality of life. Junk foods are the cheapest, and they are readily available on most occasions. Many people believe that they cannot help it. 

 

Secondly, many people fail to exercise because they are consumed with their daily routine that can be unhealthy. Many people have to work, and some of them walk more than three jobs; hence they barely have time for anything. Thus, they end up gaining weight in the process without any remedies insight. Those who are consumed by this lifestyle believe that they cannot get out even if they wanted to. 

 

Thirdly, some people are addicted to certain unhealthy foods but cannot let the foods go. These individuals also have no time to listen or watch food sensitization programs that can benefit them in the long run. They have a tight schedule; thus, they cannot check programs that concern their health. 

 

Consequently, aggressive marketing in the region and the prevalence of fast-food restaurants has influenced many people to take fast foods. Individuals can barely withstand the aggressive advertisements that are available on almost every channel. After watching too many shows, individuals find themselves giving in to the urge of fast foods. 

 

How to Offer Support?

 

Sensitization programs can help individuals to improve their dietary affirmations or nutritional studies. Health care workers or medical practitioners who are part of the community can help in this sector. They can sensitize individuals about what they should eat and what they should avoid. People make mistakes because they barely have a support system to advise them otherwise. Medical practitioners should also identify cheaper options that can resonate well with those who live below the poverty line.

 

A culture of physical exercise should be substantiated in the community. For instance, there can be social days where various sporting activities are carried out in the community. Those who live in the vicinity can be advised to take part in cultural activities (Lundeen 654). There can be basketball games, football, and hockey to include many people in the future. Additionally, the local government should include posters about healthy foods and unhealthy foods that instigate obesity. That can help in dealing with aggressive marketing.

 

Works Cited

Obesity: Metabolic and clinical consequences. (2021, March 12). Retrieved April 14, 2021, from http://themedicalbiochemistrypage.org/obesity-metabolic-and-clinical-consequences/

Lundeen, Elizabeth A., et al. "Obesity prevalence among adults living in metropolitan and nonmetropolitan counties—United States, 2016." Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report 67.23 (2018): 653-654.

Ogden, Cynthia L., et al. "Prevalence of obesity among adults, by household income and education—United States, 2011–2014." MMWR. Morbidity and mortality weekly report 66.50 (2017): 136.

Mental Illness: How to help the Homeless

 Mental Illness: How to help the Homeless

By Matthew Quevedo

Why do we look away?

    For most of us we see the appearance of those less fortunate than ourselves and more often than not we turn our heads and look away. Why? When we were little were we not taught to be kind and generous to those less fortunate than ourselves? How are these people any different? The simple answer is we fear that a member of this community may have a mental illness and could harm us. The fact that the number of homeless individuals with a mental illness is high enough that it is easier to just neglect the problem than fix it.

How bad is it?

    The situation of the homeless population in Los Angeles has reached 15,000. Of this number the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, the Los Angeles Times, and UCLA have conducted research into the population of mentally ill in the community. From the graph bellow we can see that the percentage of those with mental illness is not to be ignored. With the recent pandemic the homeless population is expected to grow by 86% over the course of the next 4 years. This means that we can expect the population of homeless individuals to double in a relatively short amount of time. 

What can we do?

    We can implement a Housing First Model. The most well-known Housing First model is Pathways to Housing in New York City. Established in 1992, Pathways to Housing offers, people who are homeless and have psychiatric or substance-related disorders, direct access to lasting, independent apartments without needing participation in psychiatric treatment or sobriety as a requirement for entering. Housing and treatment services are separated. Clients rent apartments—with the lease held by Pathways to Housing—from landlords who do not have a direct relationship with the treatment agency. The program uses a low demand approach that does not forbid substance use as a condition for obtaining or retaining housing. The program requires that clients pay 30% of their income for rent and take part in two home visits by their case manager each month. Following housing placement, interdisciplinary Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) teams are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to provide treatment, care, and other needed services to the client in a neighborhood office or in the client’s home.

How do we know it will work?

    The Housing First Model has been used in a number of states and even other countries have started to develop and implement it to solve their homeless problem. For example, research has been done in the city of Toronto to determine if this solution is viable or a number of different mental disorders. Homeless individuals with either high needs or moderate needs for mental health support were recruited through service providers in the city. Below is the breakdown of the participants that agreed to take part in the Toronto study. The total population was of 575 individuals. 

• The majority of participants were male (69%)
•  aged >40 years (53%)
•  single/never married (69%)
•  without dependent children (71%)
•  born in Canada (54%)
•  and non-white (64%)
•  substance dependence (38%)
•  psychotic disorder (37%)
•  major depressive episode (36%)
•  alcohol dependence (29%)
•  post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (23%)
•  mood disorder with psychotic features (21%)
•  two-thirds of the participants indicated some level of suicidality (65%)

Conclusion

    

    From the study done in Toronto we can see evidence that the Housing First Model can benefit the mentally ill in the homeless community. The applicants recruited for the Toronto site of the AH/CS project appear to characterize an appropriate group for the assessment of a Housing First intervention for people who experience homelessness and mental illness. Targeted recruitment policies ensured that the sample was typical of the ethno-racial variety of Toronto and the characteristics of its homeless population. Results from the Toronto site of AC/HS will offer policy makers and facilities providers with significant data on the success of a highly promising intervention to meet the needs of various populations experiencing homelessness and mental illness, predominantly in large service-rich urban centers worldwide. We must come to the realization that this problem will not be corrected unless we do something about it. Homeless shelters don't provide the services needed for extreme cases of mental illness within the homeless community. So, it is time we stop looking away and face this problem head on.

Sources

Pearson, Carol L., and United States. Department of Housing Urban Development. Office of Policy Development Research. The Applicability of Housing First Models to Homeless Persons with Serious Mental Illness: Final Report. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Policy Development and Research, 2007. Web.

Hwang, Stephen W, Stergiopoulos, Vicky, O'Campo, Patricia, and Gozdzik, Agnes. "Ending Homelessness among People with Mental Illness: The At Home/Chez Soi Randomized Trial of a Housing First Intervention in Toronto." BMC Public Health 12.1 (2012): 787. Web.

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2019-10-07/homeless-population-mental-illness-disability

https://abc7.com/la-county-homelessness-socal-homeless-crisis-economic-roundtable-population/9601083/#:~:text=Most%20alarming%20is%20the%20predicted,roughly%2015%2C000%20chronically%20homeless%20individuals.